This article appeared in the June 11th Issue of TV Times
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By David Maull
TV Times

On a clear day, you can see New Jersey from the dining room of Confetti's restaurant in Rehoboth Beach.

So spectacular is the view from atop the historic Henlopen Hotel that it's easy to overlook perhaps the most unique dining atmosphere on the East Coast.

True to its name, the restaurant features an abundance of party colors. Bright reds, blues, greens and oranges dominate the dining room, right down to the water pitchers, napkins and uniforms worn by servers.

The dining experience is complete once customers sample the top-notch cuisine.

"We have a great view, but we want our view to be secondary to the service and food," said Joey Talley, Confetti's general manager.

Confetti's opened in May under the ownership of Talley, husband and wife chef team Dave and Rhonda McGee and a fourth investor, Richard Miller of New Mexico.

Talley and the McGees previously worked together at Taylor's Seashore Restaurant in Rehoboth before opening Confetti's.

"We came up the name first," Talley said of their new venture.

But the decor fell into the hands of Rhonda McGee, who wanted a mix of colors in the dining room. The corridor leading to the restaurant is two shades of purple. Inside, one wall is orange and at certain tables each chair is a different color.

Talley and Dave McGee were at first skeptical about the decor.

"We didn't plan on putting all these colors together," Talley joked. "She (Rhonda) just has a knack for it. Once she did it, it looked beautiful."

But Rhonda's talents also extend into the kitchen, where her and her husband produce an international menu with a Southwestern flair.

The entree certain to become a hit with customers is the crab cakes.

"We have the best crab cake on the East Coast," Talley said. "They are definitely his (Dave's) signature dish."

Featuring lump crab meat and a bisque-style lobster filling, the crab cakes are pan seared, broiled and served with a dijon cream sauce.

Other entrees include broiled lobster tail, pepper seared salmon, chicken cor don bleu, seafood rio lobo, vegetarian pasta and filet mignon.

Talley noted customers will not be disappointed with the food.

"The man (McGee) is good," Talley said. "He's one of the best chefs I've ever worked with."

Rhonda also turns out fresh desserts such as creme brulee, fried custard and pineapple upside-down cake.

So far, the response has been favorable. On a recent weekday afternoon, Talley was flooded with telephone calls from customers making reservations.

"It's worth the trip up the elevator to the eighth floor," he said. "This is going to be one of the busiest restaurants in town."

Confetti's serves breakfast each morning from 7:30 until 10:30. Dinner begins at 5 p.m. and light fare is served from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m.

There is also a full service bar with happy hour drink specials from 3-6 p.m. Live entertainment is scheduled for the summer.

"Everybody that comes here, I want them to feel comfortable," he said. " I have the best service team there is. The restaurant business is about serving people and making them happy. "The formula seems to be working.

"We've had fantastic comments," Talley said. "We want to give people what they want."